editing « Robin Writes

I don’t claim to be a famous (or infamous) publisher or publicist, but I thought I clue you all in on how this publishing stuff works. I may be repeating myself a bit, so bear with me.

First, you send my your manuscript – don’t get all excited, we’re still closed to submissions (other than our ghost story anthology!) until September. And, when the time comes, please do send it through the submissions page – if you send it to another email, it could get lost.

Our interns read your work and send me comments, thoughts, recommendations. Next, I read your manuscript and decide if it will work for us. I may email you and ask you to make some changes or “fix” some things and then resubmit. To be brutally honest, if that happens, I won’t look at again until it comes back to me.

How long does all this take? It depends. It can be within days, but isn’t usually; it can take a few weeks. Sometimes, yes, it takes a few months. Oh, and don’t include, in your initial email, that you have “other offers” and/or “need a quick decision.” That’s rude and pushy, and I won’t look at your ms at all. At all.

Just to put things in perspective, I sent in a manuscript to Harper Voyager last October. Nine months ago. I still don’t have an answer. So keep your pants on. You really don’t need to email me repeatedly.

Why can it take so long? Well, if you know me, or have done any research on RHP at all – and that also means you know better than to use the title “mister” when addressing me – you should also know that reading your submission is not the only thing I do.

As an author, I write books. And promote them. I also do speaking engagements, serve on panels, and handle my own website and social media.

As a bookseller, I sell books – but I also work at the bookstore, plan events, handle advertising and publicity, and am responsible for nearly all the marketing, promotion, accounting, and website.

As a publisher, I plan releases, approve cover design, format the books, list the books, find interviewers and reviewers, and do the final edits. I also answer questions from authors and try to steer them in the right directions for sales and publicity. I place all the orders, restock when needed, contact bookstores and other venues, and do the marketing and promotion as well as the website.

Believe it or not, I’m also a person! I have to eat, occasionally. And, well, drink. Often. I try to exercise, sort of. I like to watch a movie once in while or maybe read a book – not a manuscript, a book. One that I don’t have to proofread or where I have to think about the plot or characters. I have a family, too. A family for whom I cook, clean, run errands, sometimes mow the lawn, and garden.

So, now that you know what I do all day, cut me a little slack if I don’t get to your manuscript within a couple weeks, ‘kay? Thanks.

Where was I? Oh, yes – after our interns read your ms, and I read it, assuming I don’t send it back to you, the next step is thinking. See, any ms that we accept has to have a good story, be well-written – that means you mostly know how to string together sentences and use commas, etc. – AND it has to be something that I think I can sell. If I can’t sell it, I won’t invest in it.

And yes, it’s an investment. I won’t go into a lot of dollar signs here, but if I don’t sell at least – AT LEAST – 300 copies, on average, of your book, I don’t make a dime. Don’t take it personally if your ms is rejected. That could be the reason – and I do try to always give a reason for the rejection – maybe, probably, some other publisher could sell your book. Just not me.

Sometimes authors take my suggestions and re-submit. Sometimes we simply have a back and forth re the requested changes, because I think the book is THAT GOOD.

Next, we talk contract. I email you, state our general terms; if you agree, I send the contract. You sign, send it back, and voila! Now, we can get to work!

I go over the ms. I send it to our editor. I make changes. Our interns look it over. I make more changes. Then I send it to you. In the meantime, I’ve gotten some preliminary cover designs – and our authors are always able to make suggestions or send ideas. We’re flexible here too, our authors definitely have input, but I will make the final decision. And no, I won’t use something you absolutely hate, but I also don’t want to end up on lousybookcovers.com. No way.

I’ll do my best to line up interviews and reviews, but some of that is on you. We aren’t Random Penguin and, even if we were, some of that would still be on you. And you have to be discoverable: Facebook, website, Twitter, Tumblr, SOMEWHERE. You want people to Google your name and find info, not just an old MySpace page from a decade ago.

So your book comes out in print – and E-format. Simultaneously. Mostly. Sometimes there’s a glitch, sometimes other things take precedence. But it’s close. And of course we promote you and your book, and you get your own page on our website – under “upcoming” and “new” – until the next book we publish is ready to go, but your book stays on the site under its own heading.

We’re publishing one book a month this year; next year, two each month. That’s a lot of books, and we keep ALL our books in circulation and promote them. We’re not going to forget about you, that’s for sure!

So there you have it, publishing with RHP. Well, and a bit of a rant, but you can handle that, right? ‘Cause, you know, I’m human. Most days.

Not every book is good. Not every story you’re going to read is going to be good. But everyone has a story worth telling.

I personally believe that – that every person has a story. Everyone goes through different things, everyone has their own issues to handle, and everyone reacts to things differently. I always like hearing people’s stories.

There’s something about authors that I’ve always admired. Being published requires you to put yourself out there. Whether your writing is intensely personal or just a good piece of writing that you want other people to read, it is a part of you, and you are exposing yourself to the world when your work is published. You are exposing yourself to the possibility of rejection, and you are exposing yourself to critique, both good and bad.

Now, I am not saying that everyone should write a book, by any means. Not everyone is the best at articulating their stories (although in this day and age, sometimes it seems like anyone can write a book). Not everyone should be a published writer. Honestly, sometimes it is hard to even sit there and listen to someone talk. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t all appreciate the fact that everyone has had to deal with something at some point in their lives.

That’s why I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt and to be nice whenever possible. It’s easier to get hurt that way sometimes, when you give people too many chances and they let you down all the time. Sometimes you have to know when to stop giving them the benefit of the doubt and stop letting them take advantage of your kindness. But I learned that old saying, “Treat people as you would want to be treated.” So that’s what I do. I’m not saying that my way of thinking should be adopted by everyone. But I think there is some merit to it, and maybe everyone can try to do this just a little bit more.

I always thought that, even though I might not like a certain song or movie or book or whatever, it’s something that other people appreciate and understand, and it’s another kind of art that takes courage (or, I guess you could say for some people, arrogance or cockiness) to put out there. I think, even if I don’t like something, I can appreciate the fact that someone else likes it, and let them like it. I don’t have to like it. I can appreciate the fact that someone has taken the initiative and made him or herself vulnerable to get his or her art out into the world.

I know we don’t live in a world that necessarily honors effort over other things. But hopefully we can still keep that in mind when we go about our daily business, interacting with people, making choices, forming opinions, speaking our minds. Everyone out there is trying. Trying to make good lives for themselves. Maybe even trying to get their messages out into the world, like all artists do. Some are more successful than others. Some go about their lives being nicer and kinder than others. We might not agree with everything everybody does. Actually, I can guarantee you that we won’t. And we will inevitably come across people who try to hurt others, or maybe don’t try to do anything at all. But in the end, we’re all human. We can give most people credit for trying.

I’m not suggesting that everyone try to psychoanalyze everyone with which they come into contact to figure their stories out. This doesn’t have to be in the forefront of everyone’s minds. But maybe we can tuck this away, somewhere in a corner of our minds, and maybe remind ourselves everyone once in a while, so that we can act with a little more kindness and appreciate the attempts.

So, complain, pick apart, criticize all you want. Just remember that the people on the other end of your comments were making an effort, just like you do in your own lives. They struggle, just like you do. They have their own stories, just like you do. They could very well give it all right back to you.

So all of those songs and paintings and books you don’t like – give the artists props for trying. Of course, you’re entitled to your opinions. But all of you are entitled to have your stories respected.